Automatic car-coupling



Patented Nov. l, I898.

No. a|3,523.

C. MEHRING.

AUTOMATIC GAB COUPLING.

(Application filed Aug. 27, 1897.)

glnventol (No Model.)

Attorgey.

UNITED STATES TJENT CHARLES MEI'IRING, OF CHARLv 1 ncVlLLE, VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,523, dated November 1, 1898.

Application filed August 27, 1897. Serial No. 649,792. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES MEHRING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charlottesville, in the county of Albemarle and State of Virginia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Gar-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car-couplers, and particularly to the class of twin-jaw couplers, the object of the invention being to provide a coupler with a vertically-swinging jaw and a laterally-swinging jaw, for the purpose of making a double coupling that will couple cars on curves.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top plan view. Fig. 2 is a section on the line at w, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the portion of the draw-bar having a spring attached.

The same numeral references denote the same parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The draw-bar 1 has a flaring flange 2 upon one side and a straight side 3, provided with a recess 4 in the end, into which recess a platespring 5 is secured. A laterally-swinging jaw 6 is secured in the recess 4 by means of a pivot-pin 7. This j'aw has an enlarged semi.- circular end engaged by the spring 5 to prevent the jaw from swinging too far away from the draw-bar, and the other end-of the jaw 6 has an upturned lip 8. A vertically-swinging jaw 9 is secured in the center of the drawbar by means of a pivot-pin 10. One end of this jaw is controlled by a spiral spring 11, and the other end has a downwardly-turned lip 12 to engage the lip 8 in coupling, while a jaw 13 like the jaw 9 engages the lip of the other laterally-swinging jaw. The verticallyswinging jaws 9 and 13 are operated todisengage the jaws and uncouple by means of a vertical slide 145-, one-end of which bears against the vertically-swinging jaws, and the other end is worked by a hand-lever 15 either from the top or side of the car-platform.

It will be observed that the spiral springs hold the vertically-swinging jaws in proper position for coupling, and the plate-springs do the same by the laterally-swinging jaws, and in coupling one laterally-swinging jaw engages one vertically-swinging jaw, the other jaws being likewise engaged, thereby effecting a double independent coupling, whether on a straight or curved track.-

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'

1. The combination, with a suitable drawbar, of a jaw pivoted in the draw-bar to swing vertically, and a jaw pivoted in said drawbar to swing laterally, said vertically-swinging jaw adapted to be engaged by a laterallyswinging jaw on another draw-bar, and the said laterally-swinging jaw adapted to be engaged by a vertically-swinging jaw on the latter draw-bar.

2. The combination, with the draw-bar having a recessed edge, and a plate-spring secured in said recess, of the laterally-swinging jaw pivoted in said recess and engaged-by said spring, and the spring-controlled vertically-swinging jaw pivoted in said draw-bar and adapted to operate at right angles to the laterally-swinging jaw.

CHARLES MEHRING.

Witnesses:

D. H. HENSOLDT, ELLIs F. HARRIS. 

